Posts Tagged ‘User-Friendliness’

“The idea behind Heifer … is similar to the notion that it’s better to teach a man to fish so he can feed himself than to give him a fish that will feed him just once. One animal could eventually benefit an entire community.” — Associated Press

We chose Heifer International because it is a non-profit company that helps people in an innovative way and does more than just donate money. It is designed to give people a new way of life rather than just a short-term fix. The customer who donates money specifies a particular animal or group of animals, which is gifted to the family in need. These animals are used to produce food, milk, or aid in farming and labor. We have never previously heard of this type of transaction and think it is a fantastic and interesting business model. Because it is so foreign to us, it falls outside of our preconceived notions of “design”. The business introduces a unique type of transaction to satisfy a worldwide need.

In densely populated Hong Kong, apartments are small and expensive. Having to copy with tight space, Gary Chang, an architect, decided to ease his lifestyle by designing his 344 sq. ft apartment to be able to transform into 24 different combinations of designs by simply sliding and pulling walls. Calling it the “Domestic Transformer,” his ingenuity takes space efficiency to a whole new level. We were especially struck by his idea of having warm, golden light shine into his tinted windows as a way to keep him happier, even in gloomy weather. We also found it excellent that he placed a mirror on the ceiling to create an allusion of extended space. As future architects, we found Chang’s creativity brilliant and inspiring.